Review common questions and prepare thoughtful, reflective answers. Being well-prepared can significantly improve your chances of success as well as make you feel more confident going into the interview. Here are a few key questions you should be able to answer without hesitation, as well as some pointers on how to craft your response.

Why do you want to become a teacher?

You can guarantee that this question will be asked during the interview process. This question lets interviewers understand your passion and reasoning for becoming a teacher. This is the time to talk about any inspirational teachers you’ve had, your favorite subject, or any struggles you had as a child in school that you had to overcome. Being open and honest with the interview panel will allow them to see your personal side. Here is an example.

“I want to become a teacher because I want to make a difference in the lives of our youth. I have a passion for education and to be given the opportunity to shape the lives of young people sounds incredibly rewarding.” 

What is your method of classroom management?

Take some time to think about how you would like to handle classroom management. The interviewer is looking to see that you have put thought into an effective classroom management plan and have specific strategies that you plan to employ once in the position. Depending on your own beliefs as well as the age of your students, everyone’s method may look a little different. Here is an example.

“My classroom management plan starts by building a strong relationship with my students, setting clear rules and expectations, and maintaining a consistent routine. My classroom will be an inclusive, engaging learning environment where all students will feel valued. To address any behavioral issues, I will implement positive reinforcement strategies and use restorative practices to help students reflect on their actions.”

How will you incorporate technology?

Integrating technology into today’s education is essential. The interviewer is looking to see how familiar you are with technology and wants to know what specific pieces you will use in your classroom. Research what the school district already uses and become familiar with each tech tool. If you plan on using something they don’t have, make sure you know how to use it and how the school can get it. Here is an example of how you can answer this type of question.

“I would incorporate a variety of different pieces of technology into my classroom. The first tool would be a Smartboard. I would use the apps Class Dojo and Go Noodle. I’ve used these pieces of technology in the past and know firsthand the wonderful benefits they produce. The second piece of technology I will use in my classroom is an iPad or a Chrome Book. I will use several different apps, such as Google Classroom and Flip, to help enhance my students’ learning throughout the day. Lastly, I would like a class to set of tablets. If this is not feasible for the school district, then I will go to Donorschoose.org to try and get a free set.”

Describe a challenging teaching experience and how you handled it?

This question is testing your problem-solving skills and looking to see how resilient you are. Share a specific example of a challenge you faced while student teaching or working with children and discuss the steps you took to overcome that challenge. Here is an example.

“During my student teaching experience, I dealt with a consistently disruptive student. After several failed strategies in the classroom, I arranged a meeting with the parents. We discussed the changes in behavior and developed a plan together that included strategies both at home and in the classroom. This collaborative approach led to the support the child needed and improved behavior both at home and in school.”

How will you meet the needs of all students?

Today’s teachers are expected to meet the needs of each individual student. This question is looking for how you will specifically appeal to different learning styles. Here is an example of how to answer this question.

“To meet the needs of all students, I will differentiate instruction and regularly assess students and get their feedback. I will tailor my teaching strategies to accommodate the diverse learning styles and abilities of each student to ensure a personalized learning experience. Additionally, I will use assessment and student feedback to gauge student learning and understanding.”

If the interview panel asks a follow-up question on what specific strategies you will use to differentiate learning, make sure you have a few strategies, such as choice boards, flexible grouping, or tiered assignments.

A few other questions you should prep to ace your interview are:

• What is your teaching philosophy?
• What is your approach to communicating with parents?
• Why do you want to work in this school district?
• How do you access student learning?

As long as you’re well-prepared and honest with your answers, you should have a successful interview. Think of a few insightful questions you ask them during your interview, such as:

• What kinds of technology resources are available for teachers?
• How does this school support professional development for teachers?

This will help demonstrate your interest in the position and give you an idea of whether this school district is the right fit for you. Good luck! You got this!

The post Acing Your Interview: Essential Teacher Interview Questions and Answers appeared first on Graduate Programs for Educators.

You have so much to show them, and you can’t wait for the right questions so you can strut your stuff…but what are the administrators looking for on the other side?

The Right Fit

This is a hard one to swallow, even for this seven-year high school principal in my twelfth year of administrative experience. You need to know that even if you had the best, rock ‘em, sock ‘em, nailed the landing interview, it still has to be the right fit for the school and for you. The administrators are looking for whether this hire will add value to their school. Thus, one of your goals during the interview is to show what you can bring to the school. What skills, what experience, what can you add to the school?

For example, we interviewed a certified physical education candidate who could coach football and track this spring. On his resume, he taught a math class last year without a certification. It was an outstanding young man who brought some diversity to our campus and who had a good story about how he persevered to where he was today. However, we had recently interviewed a physical education teacher who would also fill a head coach position. It was a better fit to hire the head coach for our campus. We did not have another place to put another physical education certification, it was about fit.

Do Your Research

It is always impressive in interviews when candidates can tell you something about your school. We all have a friend who likes to take the opportunity to name drop, in this case, research drop. Taking the opportunity to add in how you looked through the school’s data, or perused their campus improvement plan, or talked to some people who are familiar with the school shows initiative and a desire to work at that school.

Take that research and then turn it into some experience you have or some program you have been associated with. This will show how you bring something to the school and can address a need the school may have. This will be a common theme in this article, how do you contribute to the school?

Demonstrate a Team-First Approach

Every principal or person in charge of hiring will want to make sure you will maintain the campus culture. In the case of principals who know they need a culture change; they are looking for candidates who will add to their culture.

The goal here is to show how you are a team player, and the school or organization comes first. Give examples of how you and the team worked toward a common goal or better yet, a time when you helped lead a team through a difficult situation.

On a personal note, I am a culture-first principal. I will gladly hire someone who cares for students, works well with others and is coachable with little content experience over a twenty-year successful veteran who will be a curmudgeon and bring my school down.

Patrick Lencioni in his book The Ideal Team Player talks about hiring hungry people (desire to learn), humble (team first), and smart (smart with people). This is a blueprint I discuss with each team I hire with.

Content/Classroom Management

Why has it taken this long into the article to talk about instructional strategies, content, and classroom management? These are all things that can for the most part, be taught.

Most of the successful principals I admire are looking for people who care for kids and are team players. The state of Texas and other places have developed curriculums that can be followed and allow the teacher to just teach.

At some point in the interview, you will either be asked or given the chance to show your experience in the classroom. Maybe talk about your student teaching experience, why a lesson worked so well, how you adjusted the lesson, how you know students are learning, or even a favorite instructional strategy. You need to show the committee some competence in the instructional arena to stay in the running for the job.

A similar approach applies for classroom management. Administrators want you to demonstrate how you handle students. Talk about some procedures you have, how you have handled challenging students, how you are willing to call parents about situations, and how procedures and structure are important.

To put the icing on that cake, remember that relationships with students and good instruction will diffuse 90% or more of any classroom management problems you might have. Relationships and instruction prevent classroom disruptions.

Extra Curriculars

One of the best things an educator candidate can show a school is their willingness to get involved. It shows a desire to help students if you can talk about the different clubs, organizations, athletics, etc., that you were involved in. Then take it to the next level and be willing to start something on that campus or get involved with an existing program already on campus.

This desire or experience you bring to a campus can often be a tiebreaker in deciding to hire. This is a great example of how adding value to a campus could earn you that job.

Ask Questions

Another thing you have to remember is that this is your interview also. You need this to fit as much as they need this to fit. You are each looking for a situation that will make you successful and the school successful.

Thus, ask questions. New teachers, ask about the support you will receive from the school and district. Veteran teachers, ask about the longevity of the teachers at the school. Anyone should ask what the school sees as their biggest challenges and how they are handling them. Turn to the teachers in the room and ask them why they like teaching at that school.

Asking questions is your chance to turn the tables so to speak and put the interview committee on the hot seat. Don’t be aggressive but be curious and ask the questions you want answers to.

Closing Thoughts

Follow your gut! If you leave the interview and don’t have a good feeling about the people you interviewed with, it might not be a good fit. Trust those questions or feelings you still have. Hopefully you walk out of every interview with the feeling that you want to come to work every day with those people, but, that does not always happen.

In the end, take the chance to show how your skills can help the school, show you know the school, demonstrate a team-first philosophy, demonstrate competency with content and classroom management, and how to get involved with students. Doing those as mentioned above will put you in a position to get hired. You can’t control the fit the school is looking for…but you can make sure you make it hard for the school not to hire you!

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The post What Do Administrators Look For in a Teacher Interview? appeared first on Graduate Programs for Educators.

 What is the school culture and community like here? 

The new teacher should enquire about the current school culture, and the community’s attitude toward the school and the school district. Often a new teacher is replacing a teacher that could have moved on for a variety of reasons.

The new teacher should ask these questions of their employer in order to gain insights as to what is expected. This information can go a long way in helping the new teacher in their approach in the classroom, in the school and within the community. A new teacher with an understanding of the school culture and community can prepare with a knowledge of how to approach their respective classroom.

 What support do teachers receive here? 

Understanding the support for the school and the teachers within the realm of school culture and community can go a long way in helping the new teacher in preparation for success in their respective classroom after the job interview. A new teacher with an understanding the current climate of support, can prepare for success much better when they understand going in what challenges they may face. Additionally, the new teacher with knowledge of support level can know up front what areas to avoid, or to handle in a certain way.

Teachers should also inquire frankly what support they can expect from immediate administrators and the central office staff. Knowing who “has your back” and who doesn’t can be very valuable in navigating through the different issues in education, especially those issues that might be sensitive. Going back to culture, knowing and buying into the school culture and community can greatly enhance the chance of success for the new teacher.

What should I know about school policies? 

Knowing and understanding the policies and procedures of the school is imperative for a new teacher to succeed. Requesting a teacher’s manual, and a student handbook should be one of the first things a new teacher requests. Additionally, making sure that the administrator is available to answer questions pursuant to policies and procedures is likewise important. Invariably, new teachers after reviewing said manuals will have some questions or need clarification. Knowing how the school operates, and how to relate to the students and community on certain issues is imperative for success of an incoming teacher.

What should I know about the curriculums used? 

The newly elected teacher should be given access to the curriculum that she will be using in her classroom. Additionally, questions as to what resources are currently available and what resources the teacher will be allowed to pursue is important to the teacher’s preparation for the upcoming school year.

Teachers should also ask how long they will be operating within the current curriculum:

• Will this be the last year of the current adoption?
• Who decides on the new curriculum in an adoption year?
• Will I be directly involved in the selection process of new curriculum when adoption comes up?

Teachers should also ask what latitude they will have in their teaching of the curriculum as it relates to going outside of the current curriculum for enhancement of the course.

What is the salary/experience steps in salary? What are the benefits/retirement information/additional retirement opportunities?

As a newly selected teacher, one should expect to be given each of the above-mentioned items either verbally, in writing or found within the teacher handbook. The new teacher should ask questions to ensure that they are taking advantage of all of the benefits due him. While the salary is important, the yearly increase, or performance-based increases, is very important to know in planning for your future.

A teacher’s benefit package is very important and actually an indirect part of the salary package of the new teacher. The new teacher should directly ask what the benefit package includes. Questions of salary, increases, health insurance, retirement benefits (both state-mandated and outside retirement opportunities) should be discussed. Many school districts offer deferred compensation, and also additional health plan opportunities for example, a cancer policy or disability packages.

Some districts contract with outside entities to offer these additional benefits and other benefits such as 401K opportunities. It is important for the new teacher to understand any and all opportunities as they relate to their finances and protection of those finances through health, disability, and 401K benefits.

Basically, the new teachers understand that the school district has done their due diligence in researching them prior to their selection. The new teacher should likewise do their due diligence into the school, district, and community to ensure that acceptance of the position is in their best interest. While a teacher is hired to give the very best to the students in the classroom, the teacher should make sure the employer is giving the same consideration to them as a valued employee. The old saying, “there are no stupid questions” applies to the incoming teacher. Always do your due diligence to ensure you are going into the best situation for you.

Teachers never stop learning; check out our available graduate degree programs  to hone your skills and promote lifelong learning and academic excellence.

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Instructional coaches are educational leaders that bring best practices into classrooms by working with teachers and school leaders. The role varies from district to district and is sometimes subject-specific and other times grade-level specific.

Instructional coaches have experience teaching and strong content knowledge that move away from a teaching position to work with teachers to improve their practice and, in turn, have a positive effect on student achievement.

Instructional Coach Interview Questions

Prepping for an interview to become an instructional coach is just like any other type of interview. It is essential to jot down all experiences you feel relevant to why you would be a great candidate for this position. As a loose instructional coach job description, you are a supporter of student learning and effective instruction, a facilitator of curriculum, content, and professional learning, a data coach, and a change agent, so it is important to reflect on what you do in each of those capacities that would benefit the teachers and students.

What is your vision for this role?

This type of question you can be asked during a teacher interview for instructional coach jobs. The role in itself is so broad, as you work with so many different teachers and various administrators. Be prepared to discuss what your vision for the role is, and mention the impact it will have on student achievement in the long run.

What do you think the biggest challenge will be in this role?

This is a question that could have various answers depending on the role the instructional coach has in your district. For example, I am an instructional coach for mathematics in kindergarten through sixth grade. I work in four different buildings with 115 teachers. When I was asked this question in my interview, I said the biggest challenge was working in seven grade levels and being able to address the needs of teachers and students effectively.

Your answer can be different based on the role as you may have fewer grade levels but more subject areas. As an instructional coach, there are so many challenges, so just be honest in your response. Do your homework to find out as much about the role as you can before your interview, to accurately assess what is going to be most challenging for you.

How would you build relationships and trust with teachers?

This is such a large piece of instructional coaching. You need to work extremely hard the first year to build relationships with the teachers. I have been working on a self-paced course called Simply Coaching & Teaching and have learned a great deal about the importance of building relationships. You want teachers to “buy in” to what you are doing and make them feel you are trustworthy.

You also want to make personal connections with teachers and try to find a common denominator to do so. Having an open door, being available, listening to the teachers, providing feedback, and just being genuine are all important in developing relationships with the teachers you work with. The more approachable you are, and the more you make the teachers feel at ease around you and confident within themselves, the more they will like and trust you.

What do you see as your daily responsibilities as a coach?

Since the role of instructional coach varies so much from district to district, you could have to do so many different tasks each day. One good idea would be to reach out to an instructional coach in another district to see if you can discuss with them their day-to-day operation.

It might shed some light on the role you are interviewing for. Going into classrooms, meetings with teachers or administrators, preparing lessons and unit plans, professional development presentations, and researching best practices are just some tasks you will see on your daily agenda.

How would you handle pushback from teachers?

It can be challenging to work with different teachers, as not all educators are as open to instructional coaches as some. Take criticism with a grain of salt, as many teachers do not understand the role of an instructional coach.

The best advice I have been given is to “Water the flowers, not the rocks.” Sometimes you need to give people time to wrap their heads around the idea of an instructional coach, but being present, available, knowledgeable, and friendly are all ways to make someone feel more comfortable with you.

What would your core values be as an instructional coach?

It is crucial to determine the values most important to you as an instructional coach. My core values are to be innovative, approachable, knowledgeable, friendly, and easy to work with. Everyone’s values are different, but you have to figure out what is most important to you to make you the most effective in this role. This a great to think about before your interview as your values will be intertwined into various responses you may have during your interview.

Why do you want to be an instructional coach?

What is your “why”? Be honest and genuine in your response to this. My answer was that I see it as an excellent opportunity for my school district to become better in so many ways. In my role, I can see so many best practices, as well as where issues are present. I want to be an agent of change in the school environment and do my best to help teachers be their best so our students have the best experience possible.

I shared some of my responses for you to see the passion that comes along with this role. As Conrad Hall stated, “You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward.” An instructional coach does just that, learning and evolving one day, one lesson, and one teacher at a time.

Interested in an instructional coach certification or graduate degree program? Check out our available curriculum and instruction graduate degree programs!

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